Casualty Re-Run
by CatatonicVanity
Summary: "Once dead, they can never come back to life." But they can come back...
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Death Note or the characters. Duh.

**Author's Note**: Hello all. New story, obviously, and this one is for _What'sWithYourName_ to whom I credit the plot. I think it's a wonderful idea and I'm gonna have lots of fun writing it. Review!

Mihael Keehl scanned his surroundings and sighed, a scowl tugging at his lips and scarring his beautiful face. He then went to the edge of the circular void that held a sphere of color that didn't exist is his meaningless world. His nimble fingers danced along the surface, drawing up Los Angeles and pinpointing the murderer his 'boss' had taken an interest in.

Beyond Birthday. He and his partner in crime were murders, and smart ones at that. The authorities after him couldn't catch him because he was so thorough and didn't technically exist, not to mention that he wiped every fingerprint in the house he killed in.

The apparent 'lord' of the land he'd gone to after death, Ryuk, was tired of this killer. He had Shinigami eyes (though no one knew how he got them) but he didn't kill people that were destined to die that day like he had previously. It was irritating, accommodating people before they were supposed to come.

Many people came to this land that Mello had affectionately called 'Mu' as opposed to heaven or hell. Years of studying made the gears of Mello's mind automatically think of the Asphodel Meadows of Greek mythology; simply a place of neutrality.

He was so bored.

"Hey there," another soul murmured, drifting up alongside Mello. The blonde turned to find his companion.

"Hi," he said, leaning back and sighing. "Ryuk is getting pretty agitated with this Birthday character. Wonder what he's gonna do about it," he mused. A quiet hum came from beside him.

"He sent me to get you," his lackey said quietly. Mello grumbled and stood, drifting along the cloud-like material, chatting quietly with his only friend.

When they reached the apple red palace like structure, made only of rubies, Mello didn't bother to knock. He shoved the door open and picked his way around the skulls and apple peels to where the Shinigami was lingering about.

"Ah, Mello," he chuckled, untangling himself and dropping to a halt above the two. "I need you two to go to the human world and study everything you can about this Beyond Birthday twit. I need you to find out where he is all the time and why he's killing so many people that have different death days. Find out how he got the eyes and then kill him. Make it look like an accident or something, but get rid of him."

"You want us to go to earth, and find this murderer and kill him?" When Mello received a nod, he smiled grimly. "Well, can we at least mingle? Try to be alive for a while, perhaps?"

"I don't care," Ryuk snapped, "just get rid of him!"


	2. Arrival

**Disclaimer:** I don't own DN or its characters. I also do not claim credit for the plot, though Seth is mine.

**A/N:** So yeah, this is the first chapter. I hope you all like it! And please, for the love of MxM, review. I need that shit.

Mello and Seth left the palace and began striding through the cloud like material once more. Both murmured about how earth had been when they'd died, Mello five years before and Seth fourteen years before. Mello had unfortunately only reached the age of seventeen before a drive by shooting ended his life; Seth had been nineteen and the victim of a drunk driver.

"So we get to go mingle amongst humans and pretend to live in that world again. How interesting," Seth murmured. Mello nodded.

"Yes… It seems very interesting. I wonder how we'll manage it." Seth shrugged.

"Dunno," he said, "but we need to get down there pretty fast. B is in L.A right now, and it's nighttime there. We could appear in one of the shadier parts of town, I'm sure no one would notice." Mello nodded.

"Yeah. We'll get our stories straight when we get there. Let's do it." With that and several sickening cracks, both sprouted a pair of tattered looking black wings and free fell into the void that led to other dimensions.

A stoner was stumbling through an alleyway, buzzing from his latest hit. Intoxication made him fly high and hallucinate colors and shapes that weren't there. When there were two solid _thumps_ up ahead of him and he stumbled forward to investigate (really hoping he didn't see that one guy he owed fifty bucks) he screamed at the sight of two apparition-like beings.

Mello and Seth straightened, willing their bodies to readjust to earth's gravity and physics. Both drew their wings back in between their shoulder blades with pained groans and found themselves in the clothes they'd had on the day they'd died. Mello looked down and found leather trousers and a vest with three bullet holes in total; Seth found a pair of regular jeans, one shoe (the other must have come dislodged on impact) and a shredded Zeppelin shirt.

The scream made them both whip around and stare at the sickly looking man who'd obviously gotten high recently. He was staggering backwards with wide eyes and pointing shaky hands at them.

"Wha-What the fuck are you?!" he screeched, looking around for help that wouldn't come. Mello stalked up to the man and delivered a solid punch to the side of the man's head. Seth stared as the man crumbled to the ground.

Both began trekking through Los Angeles, unsure of where to go for how much it had changed. The lower end part of town still had plenty of shops open that blasted underground techno and were employed with stoners who weren't used to anyone coming in at three in the morning. Either way, each bought a simple outfit (Seth had fifty bucks in his wallet) and left without a word. Then Seth got a room at a cheap motel and both changed clothes and sat on the dirty bed.

"So, story?" Mello asked. Seth cast his eyes upward and thought for a few moments.

"You're young enough to be in high school, so how about you enroll and try to figure out how things work this year? I could be your older brother that's taken guardianship of you. I could probably get a job at some big retail store and figure out how everything works in the world now… We both have the eyes, so we should go out in public often and see if we can find a Beyond Birthday, and if we do we should memorize what he looks like. That and his accomplice. How's that sound to you?"

Mello nodded. "I could enroll as a senior and figure out how technology has evolved. For now though, we need to figure out how and where we should live." Seth nodded.

"True. Let's see if we can sleep until morning, then we'll go apartment hunting. I already have an idea for the money, so we should get up about an hour before sunrise."

…

"Mello, can you take out the camera?" Seth asked, pointing at the 'discreetly' placed camera over the ATM machine. Mello went behind the machine and casually plucked the wires, sending small sparks. Seth placed his hand on the screen and surpassed the codes and requirements for a card. Money poured out into the slot and both snatched it all up and shoved it in the pockets of their new jackets.

"How did you do that?" Mello hissed.

"I dunno. I just shut it down and the money came out. C'mon, let's beat it," Seth whispered to Mello, who nodded and jogged off alongside his friend. Then they took a long stroll to the not-quite-so ratty part of town that occupied most of their morning until they found an apartment complex that didn't look like it was about to topple. Both stalked in silently, having a quiet conversation with the manager and getting an apartment on the second floor. The pudgy man's eyes widened comically when Seth pulled out a roll of hundred dollar bills and paid the down payment (and three months' rent) in cash. When both had their keys, they left again to people watch and shop for clothes.

…

"Yes, this is my little brother Mihael Keehl. We're new here and I'd like to enroll him as a senior." The old lady behind the desk nodded and handed Seth a stack of papers, flipping through them and telling him what to put and where to sign and what this and that document was. Seth only nodded and went to one of the complimentary (though uncomfortable as hell) chairs and beginning to read. He pulled out Mello's choice sheet and handed it to the blonde, who filled it out for all advanced classes.

Both signed the forms necessary and handed the papers back to the old lady, who seemed happy to enter the information into the computer instead of speaking with the students sent into the office. Mello reclined in his chair and stretched out leisurely, examining the students coming in and out. He knew it was wrong to judge the student populous on the ones sent to the office, but he had nothing better to do.

'_Oh God,'_ he thought, _'this is really what my generation stooped to while I was dead? Why don't these people tell that guy to pull his pants up? And I thought it was against the rules to wear a skirt that short.'_

Mello ended up sighing and scanning the walls, reading the crappy motivational posters that the staff felt it necessary to hang. Seth watched the woman type in the information with fascination, probably making her nervous and drawing several curious stares. He finally got tired of standing and sat down next to his 'brother' once more.

"Dude, those computers are so advanced," Seth whispered. "And everyone here has one. The monitor is so much smaller and thinner and the keyboard is smaller and more sensitive. That's so weird." Mello chuckled dryly.

"Please, Seth. That was common when I died. I want to see how far they've come with cell phones and laptops."

"Mr. Keehl," the receptionist called. "You've officially been enrolled. We'll send you your schedule in the mail in the next two or three days and you can start once you've received it. Thank you for enrolling."

Mello and Seth left and began walking back to their apartment, which was too far for Mello's liking. He resolved then that he'd get a bike. He was pretty sure he'd had his wallet in those leather trousers…

"Hey, there's the mall," Seth said. "Let's go get ourselves some clothes and shit."

Two hours later found both trudging home, loaded down with bags.

"When was it agreed…" Mello panted, "that we'd buy a shitload of stuff… without having a way to get it home?"

"Oh shut up," Seth groaned, hailing a cab. "It's not like I didn't tell you not to get all that leather. I blame you." Mello scoffed.

"You're just pissed that you can't pull it off like I can."

"Fuck, whatever. Who gives a shit that I won't wear cock-suffocating pants that make me look like a hired dominatrix?"

Mello narrowed his eyes and punched Seth in the arm, leaving a bruise. The cabbie stayed silent, though he shot several curious stares through the rearview mirror. When they reached the apartment, his eyes widened impossibly at the clump of cash thrown over the seat. Common sense kept him from asking who the two were or why their skin was so pale it was translucent.

…

"Fuck, how do I work this thing?" Seth mumbled under his breath, unaware that Mello had picked up on the other end.

"Seth!" he called through the iPhone, startling the elder. Seth held the phone up to his ear cautiously, thankful that L.A was populous enough that no one paid attention to his fumbling with a piece of technology that was apparently common.

"You there?"

"Yes. I didn't think your knowledge was as limited as it is. I'll help you when we get home. Now, any sign of him or his accomplice?"

"Nothing on this end. People certainly have weird names these days though. How about you?" Mello chuckled softly.

"Nothing here. And you're right, names are weird. They weren't like this when I was born. Don't call me again unless you see Beyond Birthday or Avery Thornton, alright?" Before Seth could answer, the line went dead. The brunette rolled his eyes and put the evil contraption in his pocket, slipping into some diner-like restaurant. The news was on television and he sat down, waving the waitress away and watching the news.

_Breaking News. It has been confirmed that Emily and Larry Jeevas were murdered by the killer known as B. A week ago today they were found gruesomely slaughtered in their home._

Seth shook his head and stood, slipping out without a word.


	3. Discoveries

**A/N: **Sorry this took so long. And I'm sorry that this chapter isn't as good, but it is necessary. The next one will be better, promise! Review!

"You know society is deteriorating when high schools have attached daycares," Mello murmured to himself. Several teenage mothers were dropping their children off and shouldering their school bags. But then, he figured it was better than all of them just dropping out.

Shaking his head to dispel the thoughts, he entered one of the enormous hallways and looked around. The layout of the school was simple enough, so he trudged up the stairs to his first class, which happened to be English. On the way there, people stared. He couldn't really blame them though; he was a sight after all. Clad in a long sleeve black shirt under his leather vest, blood red rosary bouncing around on his chest and leather pants that put skinny jeans to shame. His long blonde hair brushed his shoulders lightly, swinging and shining with every movement.

What captured people the most though was probably the scar.

Rough, leathery skin ran down the left side of his face. The color was darker than his usual pallor, marked with hundreds of tiny scars from scabs where the burns had healed over too quickly. He supposed it was really no surprise that people stared with slight horror and fascination at the blemish he'd chosen to live with.

He blinked to help clear his head and made his way to the back of the classroom, sitting down quietly and resting his hands on his stomach. People stared, murmured, pointed and began making assumptions. Mello closed his eyes. Girls ventured back to talk to him and he simply stared at them, unimpressed by their antics.

"Yes, yes, we have a new student," a man with greying hair said as he came in. "Pipe down and get to your seats. Mr. Keehl, please come here." Mello stood and made his way to the front of the room, studying the teacher. "I'm Mr. Yagami, your English Honors teacher. This is the book we're currently reading, by next Monday I expect you to be caught up with the class. We started two weeks ago, so it shouldn't be too hard. This is the syllabus and as of today you will be given assignments not to do with the book and homework, so don't use your being new here an excuse to slack. You may go back to your seat." Mello decided he liked this class as he made his way back to his seat and studied the front of the book.

"Where is Matt? Is that wretched boy skipping my class _again?!"_ Yagami growled. A blonde haired girl with strange pigtails raised her hand.

"Sir, his parent's funerals are today," she said somberly. The class went quiet and Yagami's face took on a grave expression.

"Oh yes, I'd forgotten. Thank you Miss Amane," he said. "Now, here's the quiz on chapters eight and nine of the book, which I expect you all to pass." As he passed Mello, the blonde tugged on his sleeve.

"Sir, I've read this book several times before. I think I could handle the quiz." Yagami looked pleasantly surprised and handed the slip of paper over.

…

By lunchtime, Mello had decided he liked English the best. The calculus class was alright, but the teacher was monotonous and droning. He didn't pay much attention to German, given that he already knew the language. The first half of his computer sciences course was rather interesting; apparently the absence of this Matt threw everyone in the class off balance and everyone was given a break. He planned on napping for the second half.

Now though, he had to survive lunch.

He stepped out of the school and took a deep breath of the smog filled air. People stared as he went, no one quite brave enough to confront him. Rumors already swirled around, passing from mouth to ear and Mello sighed.

"Hello," a quiet, deep voice said behind him. Mello stopped and turned, looking at a bricked off garden he'd passed that was cluttered with people. The speaker turned out to be a boy in all white, complete with dyed silver hair. Mello furrowed his brows and turned fully, staring at the odd collection of people.

First and foremost was the snow puff. He looked like a living snowman, clad in white with pale skin and white hair. He had the coal eyes to top it all off. One leg was pulled under him and a finger was twirling in his hair absently.

A tall, skinny man was standing beside the bricks, gazing at Mello. A young brunette sat next to him, clutching a long, pale hand. The black haired man was hunched over with a raven's nest for hair and circles under his eyes so black, they looked like they were drawn on. The brunette was his opposite, prim and properly dressed with flawless hair and sun kissed skin.

"I'm Near," the snowball said. Then he raised a white hand and pointed at his little group in turn. "This is L and his lover Light." Then he pointed at the blonde girl from his English class; the one with the weird pigtails. "This is Misa. We usually have another friend, but he had two funerals to attend today."

"Yeah, Matt or something. I'm Mello. What happened to Matt's parents?" He knew he'd treaded on dangerous territory when every face darkened.

"Both is his parents were murdered a little over a week ago. They were killed by B," L said in a soft, sad voice. Light kissed L's hand and pulled him a little closer.

Mello's blood ran cold in his veins. The murderer was closer than he'd thought, taking the family members of his classmates.

'_I wonder if Matt saw Beyond. He might know what he looks like then…'_

"I should like to meet him soon," Mello murmured to himself. He began munching on a chocolate bar and drifted away, ignoring the stares he received from the little clique. He had to find out how he could meet this 'Matt'.

…

"Fuck it," Seth snarled, throwing his iPhone onto the couch with enough force to shatter it against cement. Mello sighed and placed his own atop the coffee table in their new apartment, making his way to the kitchen and fishing some chocolate cereal out of the drawer. Seth was swilling a beer, growling his frustrations while balling his fist repeatedly on the granite countertop.

"I might have found a link to Beyond," Mello said around a mouthful of cereal. Seth spit his mouthful of beer and rounded on his blonde companion. "He murdered the parents of one of my classmates a week ago." Seth nodded, eyes glazed over.

"Emily and Larry Jeevas. I saw it on the news. And this kid is in your class?" Mello nodded.

"And the little group of friends he has seemed rather interested in me. I'm sure I can get close to him and he might know what Beyond looks like. Even better, Beyond might come back to finish the job." Seth's expression turned grim.

"We can't let that happen. And after observing B's killing patterns… it will happen."


	4. Thanatos

**Disclaimer:** This is for the whole rest of the fic. I don't own Death Note, its characters or anything mentioned. I also credit the plot to _What'sWithYourName. _All OC's are mine.

**A/N:** I hope this makes up for the crappy chapter earlier. Read, love, review!

Mello sighed in the cold night air, savoring the chill against his skin. He stuffed his hands in his leather trousers and let his head fall back, cursing under his breath. The night sky was so murky in L.A; it made him homesick. The English countryside sky at night was more luminous than even the full moon that dimly reflected here.

His bare feet led him about aimlessly through the suburb of Los Angeles, unthinking of where he was really going or what his goal was. For whatever reason, Mello needed to be up and active when he was thinking and lying in bed brooding hadn't been good. Now his thoughts were all wrapped up on school, how to fit into the modern world and the pattern of B's kills.

He wiped out people at random with no rhyme or reason to why he chose the people he chose. The murders themselves were always gruesome, though the victims were all declared dead before the body was mutilated. He almost never went after families, but when he did, he never left survivors.

Mello had researched the Jeevas' death and found that Mail (Matt?) had been left alone with two little sisters. The authorities hadn't picked up on the patterns yet, given that B had only killed two families before. Mail, Adina and Teagan were all in danger.

Mello's feet touched grass and he looked down, trying to find out where he was. The street lamps illuminated a wrought iron fence with the gates wide open. Mello looked around and found he was in a cemetery. A sense of familiarity washed through him and he began strolling through the tombstones, letting the plush grass tickle his feet and dew gather between his toes. He wandered aimlessly, murmuring to himself.

Then, in the darkness, a silhouette rose out of the darkness and gathering fog. Mello stopped and focused in, making out the shape of a human standing tall. The shoulders were broad and the back was straight. Mello took several steps closer and determined the person standing there to be a boy with shaggy hair that looked bloody in the poor light.

"Death doesn't make good company," Mello said before he could stop himself. When the boy turned, Mello came closer and studied the features. His new companion was tall and thin, seemingly made of lean muscle. His face was pale and marked with tear tracks. Mello's eyes flickered up to the numbers and letters floating above his head.

_Mail Jeevas_

Mello sucked in a breath before he could stop himself. This was the Jeevas boy. He and his two sisters were the ones Seth and he swore to protect from B.

"Is that so, Thanatos?" he heard. His eyes snapped back to Mail's face, noting the wry smirk on his lips. Then the words caught up to him. Before he could respond though, the boy was speaking again. "Someone so beautiful as the angel of death… I'm sure his company would be well worth it. So tell me angel, where are your wings?" Mello's lips turned to a matching smirk.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, though it's welcome. I have no wings. I'm simply Mello, not the angel you seek."

"Well then Mello, I'm Matt Jeevas. Such a shame, I'd always wanted to see an angel." Mello took the outstretched hand and a shock went through him at how warm the boy was.

"Well, since I'm not Thanatos, would you like me to leave?" Matt shook his head.

"No, I was about to leave anyway. Walk with me?" Mello nodded and followed. "No shoes? You'll catch your death of cold like that Mello."

'_If you only knew,' _Mello thought dryly. He settled for, "I'll take my chances. What were you doing in a cemetery at night?" The air became charged with negative energy, tension bouncing around like trapped air.

"My parents were buried today. I needed time with them without my little sisters there. Now I could ask you the same thing."

"I couldn't sleep. I started walking without looking where I was going and this is where I ended up. Never thought I'd be talking to the great Matt." He heard a snort beside him. "No, really. I'm new to your school and everyone missed you today. Mr. Tailor was lost without you and the class got a day off."

Matt chuckled. The sound resonated in Mello's ears and he'd swear it was one of the most beautiful sounds he'd ever heard. "Yeah, the teacher of a computer class doesn't understand technology like one of his students. Bit pathetic, really."

"Oh? Isn't it a little more pathetic that a teenager understands technology more than someone trained in the field?" Matt growled beside him.

"Forgive me." There was such a sarcastic sound to the words that Mello was surprised the boy didn't laugh as he said it. "You organic life forms are so unpredictable and… emotional. I'm not really sorry for preferring machines. And this is my house." Mello looked up to find a modest, two story house with the living room light on.

"I suppose someone must be there to take care of you and your sisters," the blonde murmured absentmindedly. Matt shook his head.

"No. My parents were low key, but very wealthy. I take care of my little sisters with the bank fund that they left. Just enough to feed us and pay the bills for the house. By the time it runs dry, I'll be in my forties." Mello listened with interest, hoping the redhead lived to see his forties.

The front door swung open and light spilled across the yard. Two girls came padding down the sidewalk, holding hands. Matt knelt and opened his arms, hugging them both and picking up the youngest.

"Teagan," he said sternly, "Why aren't you in bed?" The little girl, maybe four years old, clung to her brother.

"I hadda bad dream," she said into Matt's shoulder. The elder girl stood at Matt's leg.

"I tried to calm her down, but she wouldn't stop wailing and she said she wanted to wait up for you." Matt reached down and ruffled the girl's messy hair.

"Thank you for staying up with her. Come on in, I'll make some cocoa and put on a movie." As he made his way up the sidewalk, he turned back to Mello. "I'll see you at school."

The door shut, leaving the blonde worried as ever.

…

Mello didn't know that dreams from his life before could plague him, but he figured if he could sleep he had to dream.

Mihael knew his parents were in bad business. They didn't try to hide it from him anyway, and as the heir, he had to know what his father did and who he dealt with. Young Mihael wanted no part in the business, but it never stopped him from studying it and memorizing the patterns of what happened in the underworld.

Death was life. Mihael knew this also, accepting long before most that everyone died, and that he and his parents were no exception. His father's death was fast; one bullet and it was over. His mother's death was soon after, a depression she simply couldn't handle. Mello has fallen into ranks, angry and bitter and ready to slay those who would dare harm his family.

He dreamt he was in the middle of his fatal firefight. The smells of gunpowder and blood swirled in the murky air, thick with bullets and bodies. Adrenaline was pumping furiously in the blonde's blood, driving him to dodge and swerve easily while firing off his beautiful handgun again and again, pumping lead into whoever fell in his path.

The pain never quite registered, but the dull thud and impact did. One in his thigh, then one in his stomach. Mello knew they were bullets, but his finger was moving on its own, firing off rounds with slightly altered aim. Another bullet hit his chest and the leather did little to stop the bullet.

By the time Mello had recovered his senses, he was too weak from blood loss to properly stand. The fight was dying around him and he was discovered by the boss, who had taken him in after his father's death. The man tried to apply pressure to the wounds, only to have his hands slapped away by Mello. The blonde knew he was going to hell; he was ready for it.

He closed his eyes, releasing his last breath. He felt himself moving, shifting, though he didn't know where he was going. When he emerged in a light grey field of clouds, Seth was sitting nearby. The explanations began…

The dream morphed and shifted. Suddenly he was in the middle of a crime scene. The night was deadly quiet and a pair of glowing red eyes was darting around. Two bodies were being twisted around, sliced to pieces and obviously dead.

Then there were footsteps in the hallway. The raven looked up and cursed, and then his thin body disappeared out of the window. A blue haired male followed him as the door creaked open and the lights came on. Matt stood in the doorway, eyes vacant and face pale. Mello watched as the boy took slow steps forward before crashing onto his knees. Tears began to leak out of his eyes.

"Mom?" he choked. "Dad? You're not dead… You can't be!" Then he fell onto his hands and his body heaved as he vomited.

Mello felt an unfamiliar tug in his chest, a sudden longing to hold the red haired boy. Why would he want to do that…? Why was it important to comfort him?

Everything shifted again and Mello swore he was going to have vertigo. But he looked around the room he was in now, which seemed to be a dank basement. Two little girls were in the corner. Adina and Teagan were long since dead, cuddled in each other's arms. An earth rattling scream shook through the room and a weary looking Matt fell to his knees and scrabbled over, sobbing.

He'd been beaten, that much was obvious. He was bleeding from multiple small lacerations and his fair skin was beginning to turn purple and blue. His trademark goggles were gone and a pair of thin sweats hung in tatters off his hips.

A deep, bone chilling chuckle rang through the room. The murderer approached with a knife, brandishing the blood stained blade happily.

"Where is your guardian angel, _Mail?"_ B spit the name mockingly and Mello narrowed his eyes. "Where is he? Where is this one you promise will come to save you? What was his name again…? Mello? I think I'll finish him off when I'm done with you."

Everything in the blonde's body yearned to stop the knife; to dive in B's path and stop those horrid screams from Matt. Everything in his mind was torn, confused and scared.

'_Is this the future…? Was I unable to save him? But B called me his guardian angel. What's going to happen now…?'_

…

**A/N: **Not much of a cliffie, but… yeah. Review please!


	5. Complications

**A/N:** Ugh, this chapter sucks. Just a little progression and such. Not my best, but please do review. Reviews are cookies and love.

* * *

Mello sat in the back of Yagami's classroom, brooding. Seemingly without thinking, he broke off a piece of his chocolate bar and dropped it in his Styrofoam cup full of coffee.

His dream from the night before played in his head on a loop. He hunched further over his desk and sighed deeply, fingers tightening on his cup. It was a dream of the future, he was sure. That or his imagination was fucking with him. He sincerely hoped that it wasn't a premonition.

"Oh look, there's Mello!" a familiar voice squealed. Mello looked up and was met with a pale girl in a Lolita outfit. Amane Misa was the name floating above her head. Behind her was the odd couple, L and Light, trailed by Near who was having some conversation with Matt. They all situated themselves around him and began asking him questions like why he was there or how old he was. He answered listlessly with the alibies he and Seth had rehearsed, eyes flickering over the numbers. L and Light still had sixty years left; L would outlive Light by four months. Mello idly wondered what would be the causes of their deaths and if they would stay together in that time. Misa had only thirteen and Mello somehow knew that she would be a famous model and pop singer. She would be killed by a stalker. Near had thirty two years left before he died of a heart attack.

But the numbers over Matt's head flickered constantly, blinking like a bad neon sign. They changed constantly, sometimes stating that he was to live another seventy years and sometimes stating that he had merely months left. Mello remained tense through the class, glancing over when he knew Matt wasn't looking. He tried to keep his gaze on the numbers, but it was hard to do and he soon found his eyes wandering over the perfect lines and curves of the redhead's body.

Someone snapped their fingers in front of Mello's face. He blinked rapidly and looked around to find Light, smirking at him knowingly. He looked back at Matt, who had some handheld device open under the table and was playing rapidly. Then he looked back at the chestnut haired boy, who scribbled something on a piece of paper.

_Matt doesn't have the best track record of boyfriends. You better not fuck with him._

Mello narrowed his eyes at the Japanese boy who met his gaze evenly. L glanced over while popping sugar cubes in his mouth. Then he picked up a pen in an odd way and wrote something on his own piece of paper before slipping it onto the blonde's desk.

_All Light-kun is trying to say is that Matt has been hurt before. He's a good friend of ours and we don't want to see it happen again._

This time, Mello wrote back in elegant handwriting, scooting away when Matt leaned over curiously.

_I don't believe I'll be staying long enough to even begin a relationship with Matt. I won't hurt him._

L and Light read over the note, and then both glanced at Mello before nodding to one another. Mello took that as approval and used it as a distraction; he didn't want to ponder that thinking about leaving the redhead scared him.

…

When lunch came around, Mello sucked on the corner of a chocolate bar and strode outside, quickly sitting on the steps beside L and Light. Misa bounced over while Near played absentmindedly with some finger puppets. Seth had managed to text him that he hadn't seen any traces of A or B. Mello slipped his phone back in his pocket and began working on his Physics II homework.

"So where did you come from? You seem to be extremely intelligent," L said around the tip of his thumb. Mello didn't look up from scrawling equations.

"Russia. After my parents died, my brother Seth and I had nothing to hold us there anymore. So we came here." L and Light held politely apathetic expressions and Near didn't seem to hear. No matter. But Misa, emotional as she was, gasped softly.

"Oh that's terrible! How did your parents die?" she asked. Mello stayed silent for a moment and held a poker face; to an outsider, he was steeling himself to say the words. In reality, he was wracking his brain to remember what he and Seth had agreed on.

Finally, he looked up and met her soft blue eyes with his own cold cobalt. "My father was killed in a plane crash and my uncle coveted my mother. When she refused him, he killed her." Misa's eyes welled up with tears and she held her hands over his own, murmuring that she was so sorry. Mello only brushed her off and continued his work. Misa began texting her friends, giggling and squealing occasionally. L and Light began a discussion about the symbolism and hidden innuendos in _The Picture of Dorian Grey_.

Within moments, a familiar redhead came strolling up with a cigarette in his mouth. He plopped down between L, who had Light on his bony lap, and Mello and casually and lit up his cancer stick, which the blonde promptly flicked out of his mouth. Matt stared at him, shell shocked.

"What the hell?" he finally yelled, drawing everyone's attention. Mello only met his gaze evenly, itching to reach up and rip the goggles away.

"You'll get cancer that way and I don't want to smell like cigarettes." Matt growled and pulled out another nicotine stick, standing and moving beside L and Light.

"Better?" he snapped. Mello only smirked and nodded.

"What's the matter Matt? Am I as an organic life form being too _emotional?"_ The redhead scowled and stubbed his cigarette out on the bricks.

"You are, and it would be in the interest of everyone that you shut up." Mello snorted and a devilish gleam came to Matt's eyes. "Unless of course, you'd rather me occupy your mouth in a different fashion. I'm sure it could be arranged."

"Alright, enough. You're starting to disgust me," L said, holding up a hand. "Continue your flirting elsewhere." Mello's cheeks burned faintly, though he was pleased to note that Matt's cheeks were also pink.

…

"Alright dude, what's up?" a harsh voice said beside Mello's ear, snapping him out of his trance. Mello looked up at Seth, who was scowling at him as he sat back down in his chair. "You've been acting out of sorts all day. What the hell is up?" Mello only shook his head.

"I dunno what you're talking about. Nothing's wrong," he murmured, looking away and needlessly shuffling the papers they'd printed out.

"Oh yeah? What was I just discussing with you?" Mello glared.

"You were talking about the Jeevas family and what we could do to protect them," he answered snappily. Seth smirked and chuckled in his chest.

"Yeah, thirty minutes ago. That's about when you spaced out. Since then, we've discussed B's patterns, the time of his killings, the way he spaces them and the patterns of the way he moves throughout L.A. You've been drifting off ever since... Wait a minute… You spaced out about the time we started talking about Jeevas. That kid is in your class, right? And you said he was in class today… Oh hell. You aren't getting sweet on him, are you?" Mello looked away, though his cheeks burned faintly. Seth growled.

"I am not! He's hot and all, but that's it. I'm not getting 'sweet' on him, and no one says that anymore!" Seth laughed.

"So defensive Mihael. So you wanna bang him?" Mello looked away, biting his lip.

"I wouldn't pass up an opportunity if it were offered." Seth only snickered and pinched Mello's unscarred cheek.

"Little Mello might get lucky while we're here. But remember, we don't have much time here. Do him and dump him, don't get attached. You got it?" Mello felt anger flare in his gut and the same dread creeping into his veins; slight fear at the idea of leaving Matt in this rotten world. He slapped Seth's hand away and stood, sneering.

"I won't involve myself with him at all! But I'll send you to hell before you suggest I use him!" Before Seth regained his senses, the door to Mello's bedroom slammed shut and the lock clicked.


	6. Horrors

**A/N: Alright, not much to say here... I sort of like this chapter, but I don't like the end. And for those of you who don't catch it, this is a time skip of about three weeks. Sorry it's so short. REVIEW please.**

Beyond Birthday perched on the edge of the modest house and stared at the light spilling out of the windows. The shadows of the occupants danced across the lawn as the children milled about and young Mail tried to calm them. A horrible, twisted smirk curved his lips into a hideous expression of sadistic delight and the thoughts of what he would do to the boy.

B crawled along the edge of the roof on all fours, coming along the side of the house and gripping the edge. He dropped down against windowsills with the practiced grace of a hunting cat, scaling the side of the house. When his bare feet finally met soft grass, he slithered along the side of the house and into the yard, never letting his toes leave the grass below his feet. His breathing grew slightly erratic at the thrill of another murder within his grasp and he wished he'd let his lover come with him.

As B rounded the corner, he stayed melted in the shadows. His black shirt and dark jeans faded into the darkness, leaving nothing but his pale skin and crimson eyes to show to anyone who might have walked by. B's heart raced in his chest as everything became so perfect. The lights across the lawn dimmed and the three shadows went up the stairs. B gazed at the lawn with owlish eyes and waited. This was a practiced routine that he'd rehearsed every night for almost four weeks since the murder of those foolish Jeevas'. Now the time was ripe and he could finish what he'd started.

Mail would be reading to Adina and Teagan right now, tucking them in soon and coming back downstairs to play his games for a while. B flattened himself against the wall and kept his eyes locked on the grass, waiting for the shadow to come back. The door was unlocked, and he knew it would be until Mail went to bed, which he never would.

Then a dull roar met his ears and he watched a sleek black motor bike pull up along the curb, then hop it and park on the sidewalk. B's eyes narrowed as the kickstand was put out and the inky black clad figure dismounted, slipping the helmet off. B's eyes narrowed at the blonde named… There was no name. No numbers. B slid to the ground and watched the figure approach the house in horror. There was no name above his head, no numbers signifying the time of his death.

Then a pair of eyes cut through the darkness and locked with his. Those eyes flickered up above his head for the briefest second before flitting down to his again with a new light burning in them. In that gaze Beyond saw determination and anger and a hint of possessiveness. But the blonde didn't stop, only marched right up to the door and knocked. B slid away and melted into the shadows when the door was flung open and bright yellow lights spilled across the lawn.

…

"A!" the raven hissed, shaking his blue haired lover awake. "Avery, wake up. I saw something just now…" B's voice trailed off into a hoarse croak, making Avery sit up and eye the raven in concern.

"You're sure it was real?" he asked, clearing the sleep from his eyes and scrubbing his hands over his face. Beyond nodded. "Baby, you have to be sure you saw it," he said, laying a hand on B's shoulder.

"It was, A, it was! I was at the Jeevas house and I could have gotten all three, but a motorbike pulled up and a boy got off and went into the house. He saw me A. And he has the eyes, I know he does!" A nodded and began stroking B's hair, shushing him.

"Are you sure he has the eyes?" B nodded.

"When he saw me his eyes went up above my head, where my name is for a second. He looked different when he saw too, like he was warning me to stay away." A nodded.

"I see. We'll take care of it love, don't worry. What was his name?" B took a shuddering breath and looked up.

"I don't know. There wasn't a name."

…

Mello unlocked the apartment door and strode in, not bothering with the light. As he passed into the kitchen, he saw a figure sitting at the kitchen table.

"Hello Seth," he said softly while pulling chocolate out of the freezer.

"Why'd you leave?" his companion asked, his voice full only of curiosity. Mello sensed the calm before the storm.

"I went to the Jeevas house. I had a really bad feeling, like I needed to be there. And," he added, turning and sticking the corner of the chocolate in his mouth, "my hunch was correct. Beyond was there." Seth jumped to his feet.

"Fuck, are you serious?" Mello nodded and snapped off some of the chocolate.

"He was in the shadows against the wall. When he saw me, he looked for my name and when he didn't see it, he ran away." Mello sat at the table with Seth right next to him. He pulled a sheet of paper close to him and a pen, quickly sketching what he'd seen of Beyond. Seth snorted at his poor attempt at drawing and Mello kicked him under the table.

"I certainly hope you're better at describing him. Or maybe you could do a better drawing," Seth mused, sitting back and crossing his arms. Mello rolled his eyes and stood.

"I'll do it tomorrow during school. Tonight should be fine, since I spooked him, but after tomorrow we need to find a way to monitor them. B's obviously moving in to finish the job."

"Yeah. And since we have to be close to them, I don't have to get a job or scout. We just hang around them long enough and he'll come in for the kill. We get rid of him then." Seth nodded empathetically and Mello murmured a halfhearted agreement before rolling his shoulders and striding to his bedroom. "Hey uh, you got Mail at school. What about the girls though?" Mello paused.

"Teagan stays in the attached daycare until she begins Pre-K. I'll have both of them at school then… We'll just get up early and you can go to their house. Tail him and find out where Adina goes to school. Then just… I dunno, linger and keep a watch out for him."

"And if I see him?"

"If he goes for the kill, kill him. If he doesn't, follow him. And if you have to follow him, try to find out where he goes or lives… Anything of value." Then Mello slipped into his bedroom and shut the door before Seth could answer.

As he ventured deeper into the room, he shed his leather and scrubbed his hands across his face. He let his head fall back and sighed deeply, slipping into his bed and sighing at the cool sheets that caressed his bare skin. As he fell asleep, he wondered at the change in his emotions; when had primal lust to feel Matt's body under his become desire to have Matt next to him, holding him? When had his feelings had become romantic?

The thoughts eased out of his mind and he slept, dreaming of Matt's sharp tongue and bright smile…


	7. Alibis

**A/N: **So this is late, short and not very good, but for whatever reason, I'm on a writing roll here. So please forgive this short, crappy chapter and review.

**SHAMELESS SELF ADVERTISING:** I have a new story that I love called Innocence. If it's not too hard, please read and review.

Mello had assumed that making Matt skip classes with him would be hard; he was wrong. Apparently the redhead was a literal genius that didn't pay attention in class anyway and had no qualms skipping school. But where Matt expected them to go to the park or mall, they simply circled the school grounds while chattering aimlessly.

"So what's your story?" Matt asked casually, to which Mello replied his alibi. Matt sent him sideways glances that told Mello that the gamer didn't quite believe him, but Mello tried to ignore him while munching on a chocolate bar. At one point both got tired of walking and sat in Matt's cherry red Chevelle, restored to brand new. Mello tried to ignore how impressed he was (and a bit aroused) at the beauty of the car that he'd always admired.

"So you built this?" he asked, leaning back in the leather seats. Matt chuckled low in his chest and Mello bit his lip gently, crossing his legs.

"My dad and I, yeah. This was the car he used to teach me about engines and when I turned sixteen he gave it to me." Mello nodded, a little jealous and longing of the relationship Matt had so obviously had with his parents.

"So… if your name is Mail, why do you go by Matt?" Matt's face darkened a shade and he tensed slightly. Mello quickly backtracked for fear of offending the redhead. "If you don't want to tell me, you don't have to, ya know, I was just curious…" Matt sighed and relaxed fractionally, shaking his head.

"Nah, don't worry about it. When I was a kid, I got made fun of a lot for my name and the way it's spelled. And Adina didn't get it when she was little, 'cause she was about two when I was twelve. So one night she had a nightmare and didn't want to wake mom and dad so she came in my room and called me 'Matty.' Never knew why she did it, but mom thought it was cute and said that no one could make fun of me if my name was Matt. So I started going by Matt. Some kids still made fun of me and all, but that's how I ended up meeting L and them. He is a badass when it comes to fighting and he saw some kid pinning me to the lockers and pulled him away, kicked him in the jaw and told him to leave me alone. It was badass." Mello snickered at the idea of barefoot L kicking some kid in the face.

"And Light and Near? What about them?" Mello asked, a bit curious to how the perfect student and the freak reject had ended up together. Matt laughed again.

"Near is L's little brother. Light and L were raised next door to one another and have been friends from the start. They're both freakishly smart, like, only on each other's level. They kind of have their own bubble that no one else is allowed to breach completely, so… One day, we all told them to suck it up and admit it: they loved each other. They got tipsy, fucked, and have been together ever since. And Misa used to be really depressed and one day I found her behind the middle school cutting her wrists. I made her stop and we've been really close ever since. She's a lot smarter than she acts, by the way," Matt informed the blonde, who found that a little hard to believe.

"Well, they're a weird couple," Mello mumbled, to which Matt nodded. "How about you? Misa's pretty, I'm pretty sure you could have her." Mello tried to keep the jealously out of his voice as he remembered the glances Misa had send the gamer. Matt laughed softly and turned a smoldering look on Mello, who was pinned by the gaze.

"Oh, I could, I'm sure. She's expressed interest before, but I wasn't exactly interesting in her…" He leaned forward and ghosted his lips across Mello's, running his fingers up and down the blonde's thigh. Mello pushed forward in a desperate attempt to fully connect their lips, but Matt pulled away and drew his own hand back to his lap, leaving the blonde to whimper at the loss.

"Matt, don't tease, it's not fair," Mello said with a pout, fully aware but uncaring that he sounded like a little kid. Matt smirked and leaned over, pressing his lips to the shell of Mello's ear.

"I've been hurt before Blondie. Prove to me that you're worthy, and I'll give you a chance." Mello shuddered and nodded, jumping as the bell sounded and hurrying out of the car with a hasty farewell. Matt smirked as he watched the blonde straddle his bike and speed off, leaning hard over the handlebars.

Mello shot down the road, weaving in and out of traffic wildly and cursing Matt in his head. Damn that redhead, such a fucking tease. Mello shifted and whimpered at the confining leather that was strangling his manhood.

More to his immediate attention though was the possessiveness and anger bubbling in his blood stream, simmering in his chest and fueling the thoughts that could become deadly; the thoughts of slaughtering those who had hurt Matt and keeping the redhead all to himself or the thoughts of showing Matt that he was capable and worthy of love, despite the pain.

'_Damn it, Matt, what are you doing to me…?'_

...

L turned his black eyes on his lover, who was scribbling drabbles of poetry on a stray piece of paper. Light felt the intense gaze and turned to his shirtless friend, arching an eyebrow in a silent question.

"Do you trust Mello?" L finally asked, concern leaking into his usually stoic voice. Light tilted his head, furrowing his eyebrows and tapping his pencil on the desk. Then he stood and strode over to the raven, the same thoughts consuming his mind. Matt had steadily been spending more and more time with Mello, who seemed innocent enough, but... Well, Mordekhai had seemed innocent enough.

"I'm not sure if I trust him completely, but Matt does. And I trust Matt's judgement after what Mordekhai did to him, considering how closed off he became. There's nothing to do about it, really, without interfering with Matt's life. We need to let him make his own mistakes, you know?" L nodded, though he still looked uncomfortable. Light knelt on the bed and wrapped the raven up in his arms, kissing his forehead affectionately.

"I don't think Mello wants to like Matt, but he can't help it." Light nodded.

"Yes, I got that impression too. Like he's trying to stay cut off, but is so drawn to Matt that he can't help it." Both sat in silence for a while, mulling the thoughts over. Then Light kissed L's forehead again and nuzzled his hair. "Don't worry. We'll corner Mello sometime soon and have a nice little talk with him."


	8. Actuality

**A/N: **Whoa…. Been a while, eh? I am so sorry this took so long… I've had a mass writer's block. Updates for this and Terminal will be slow going, I'm afraid. Love Bytes should be a little faster, depending on my fantastic co-author. I am so sorry for the delay. That being said, review?

The comforter Mello was bundled up in wrapped around his lithe form, making him seem much bigger than he really was. Seth crossed his arms and cocked his hip out, staring down at the lump with enough intensity to burn a hole through it. Unfortunately, such things were not possible, so he settled with grabbing the edge and yanking. There was rustling, a gasp, a thud and a yelp. Then a head of blonde, disheveled hair peeked out from behind the bed.

"What the fuck?" Mello snarled, glaring at his friend and roommate, yanking the blankets down to cover his manhood. Seth only glared.

"You were out for a long time last night. Did you have fun?" Mello stood and dropped the blanket, striding through the room to grab a pair of black skinny jeans. As he yanked them up his legs, he sent a scathing look at Seth.

"You know damn well I was at Matt's," he snarled, digging through his closet to find a shirt. Seth growled.

"Yeah, I know. Why were you there? I thought you weren't gonna get fresh with Red." Mello's lips pulled back over his teeth.

"I'm not, you ass. I'm trying to get closer to him so I can ask about the murder. He might know better what we're looking for." Seth scoffed.

"That's bullshit and we both know it. Can't you fucking see that you're falling for him? You use these excuses but we both know you're lying!" Mello's fist curled and he drew back, snapping forward and connecting with Seth's jaw. The brunette male fell back onto his ass with a groan and cradled his now aching cheek, looking up at Mello.

"He's coming to get me soon and take Adina to school. Make yourself scarce and get ready to follow us." Seth watched the blonde march out of the room with a regal air about him, taken aback by the cold tone in his voice and the fact that Mello had struck him. Then he shook it off and stood, allowing his wings to unfurl from his back with a pained groan and concentration, making his skin translucent and eventually making himself unnoticeable at first glance.

Mello glared at air as he stomped out of his room, slipping his boots on and clenching his fists. He didn't want to think about Seth's claims and the truth of them. He marched down the stairs with his bag slung over his shoulder, barely aware of Seth drifting along behind him. When he hit the ground level, he was met with Matt, who was standing a few feet away at the elevator, hand raised to push the button. The redhead looked over and smiled, lifting his hand and waving.

"Ready?" he asked with a toothy grin that Mello thought was way too happy for this early. Mello forced a smile on his face and nodded tersely. "The hell is wrong with you? You look all crabby," the redhead said easily with a joking edge to his voice. Mello only rolled his eyes.

"The hell is wrong with you then? You're all happy and shit." Matt took on a sour expression and scrunched up his face, doing a poor impression of Mello in a high voice. Mello only slugged his friend on the arm before sliding into the passenger side of the car, waiting for the redhead to slip in. "And the reason I'm all crabby," he said, making an effort to clean up his language, "is because I'm not a morning person. I didn't have any coffee this morning and am still tired." Matt chuckled and nodded in understanding, gesturing to a Styrofoam cup of coffee in the cup holder. "Oh God, you're a savior," he said dramatically, gulping at the scorching liquid. Suddenly a small finger poked him in the back of the head and he turned around, meeting a pair of green eyes.

"Are you Matt's boyfriend?" the little girl leaning forward in the seat asked, bringing a blush to Matt's cheeks.

"Adina!" he scolded her and she got an indignant look on her face.

"I just wanted to make sure he was nicer than Mordekhai. Sorry," she grumbled, leaning back again and starting a game of peek-a-boo with Teagan. Mello stole a glance at Matt, whose face had taken a dark expression. His hands gripped the wheel a little tighter when he stopped outside of an elementary school and put the car in park, waiting for Adina to get out. "Bye Matt. I love you," she said through the window. Matt's face softened and he smiled at her.

"Love you too kid. Have a good day."

The drive to the high school was encompassed in silence, occasionally broken by Teagan giggling from the backseat. When they reached the high school and Mello was carrying Matt's stuff while Matt carried Teagan, he glanced up at the sky and relaxed only fractionally when there was no form in the air above them.

…

Mello sighed as he sat down in his psychology class, ready for the day to be over. His foul moon only lifted slightly when Matt walked into the room and plopped down next to him, stretching his legs and arms. As he stretched, his shirt rode up above his jeans and showed a strip of cream colored skin that rippled over muscles and bone. Mello shifted uncomfortably and squeezed his eyes shut at that train of thought and the effect it seemed to have.

"Yo, you alright?" Matt asked from beside him, causing him to jump. He nodded and scratched the back of his neck nervously.

"My older brother is pissed at me, so I don't really want to go home, but at the same time, I want this day to be over."

Both boys fell silent when the teacher started talking and assigning them to a project. She told them to pair up with someone of their choice and Mello sighed, laying his head on his arms and trying to block out the noise. He felt a tap on his shoulder and looked up to find that Matt had turned his desk facing Mello's and was grinning lopsidedly.

"Be my partner?" he asked, sliding from his desk onto on knee and holding one hand out dramatically, the other clutching his chest. Everyone giggled and Mello bit back a laugh, pretending to think it over.

"Well," he said, scrunching his face up, "you are the sexiest in this class. Yeah, why not?" Matt's cheeks colored faintly and everyone laughed and 'ooh-ed' at the declaration. The teacher rapped her knuckles against her own desk.

"Enough, boys. No coitus in my classroom," she said wryly. Matt crawled back into his seat and they began the reading for the assignment, stealing the occasional longing glances at each other. When they finished the reading, they began comparing the twins in the studies while bubbles began simmering in his brain.

"Hey," he asked hesitantly, chewing his lower lip. Matt looked up in acknowledgement, but Mello said nothing, instead fidgeting with his pencil.

"What?" Matt finally asked, deriving a little pleasure at the way the blonde jumped.

"Who is Mordekhai?" Mello asked softly and hesitantly. Matt stiffened for a moment before sighing and continuing his notes.

"He was my first boyfriend. I was fourteen and I really liked him. I'd told my parents I was gay and all, and they got it, but I didn't know if everyone else would. I didn't want to be bullied anymore. But I told him and he understood and helped me come to terms with it and tell everyone else. When I did, I was still accepted and all that and he asked me out. I said yes and we were actually pretty good for a while.

"But then he wanted things from me that I wasn't ready for. I wasn't comfortable with having sex yet, and when I told him that, he dumped me." Mello clenched his fists under the table at the hurt tone Matt took on and the way his shoulders hunched as he finished.

"It was wrong of him to expect so much," the blonde said softly, forcing his fingers to grip his pen without shaking. Matt looked up at Mello, who met his gaze evenly. "He didn't deserve you." Matt smiled a bit and blushed.

"Thanks. Now uh, we should get to work on this." Mello nodded and they set to work on the stupid project.

When they'd finished, Mello groaned and laid his head on the desk. "Fuck," he mumbled, "I don't wanna go home."

"You could come to my place for a while. We could play video games or something," Matt said offhandedly, praying Mello didn't notice the blush on his cheeks. Mello glanced up with a sheepish smile as the bell rung.

"Really? You wouldn't mind?" Matt shook his head and stood, gathering his bags.

"Meet me at my car. I'll go grab Teagan." Mello stood and hurried to his locker, stuffing his books in while butterflies fluttered about in his stomach. When he shut his locker and turned around, he gasped and jumped backwards at the sight of Light and L looming over him.

"Before you start saying that you aren't attached, we know that's bullshit," Light said quietly. "What do you want from him?"

Mello looked between the two, bewildered. Black and brown eyes stared down at him threateningly.

"You mean… Matt? Look, I am attached to him, but I'm not gonna do anything he doesn't want to do. I don't even really want to date him! I just want to be his friend. But I'm not gonna play him or anything."

Light looked at his boyfriend, who narrowed his eyes and leaned in, studying the blonde deeply. Then he pulled back and nodded. "We trust you Mello. Do not make us regret that." He turned and ambled off after that, clutching Light's hand tightly. Mello leaned against his locker and blinked a few times, replaying the situation in his head.

"Fuckin' weird," he finally murmured, pushing off the lockers and beginning towards the door. Butterflies erupted in his stomach again and everything tunneled down to Matt; he forgot the threat, Seth, his mission, and even the fact that he was dead.


End file.
